


Pieces of Time: Lord of Poison

by WinterIsComing (CrystalNavy)



Series: Pieces of Time [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Gen, Groundhog Day, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:01:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22508197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalNavy/pseuds/WinterIsComing
Summary: Oberyn dies at the hands of the Mountain.......or does he?
Series: Pieces of Time [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619425
Kudos: 19





	1. Return Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oberyn dies and finds himself back in Dorne.

"Elia Martell." the Mountain rumbled, in a mocking voice "I pinned her down underneath me. I took her against her will."

Oberyn felt two large, meaty fingers pressing into his eye sockets, pushing onwards relentlessly.

"Then I smashed her pretty little head against the wall, just like this!" the Mountain cried out eagerly

Oberyn saw stars as the Mountain smashed his head against the rock below over and over again.

Then the blackness took over and he closed his eyes forever.

Only to open them again. He was in a familiar place. A fountain was in front of him. The fountain in the water gardens.

Water gardens in Dorne. He was back in his homeland.

But how was it possible? He remembered the Mountain cracking his skull against solid rock. Remembered the pain as it burst open like an overripe melon. Remembered dying. Being dead at one moment and then alive in the next was difficult for him to wrap his head around

Melons......He loved eating melons with his brother, and with Elia as well, back when she was alive.

He was supposed to have joined her. Instead, he was alive, somehow, and she was still dead. That thought filled him with bitterness. Whoever had done this to him had a dark sense of humor.

He would be content just lying there, but that would be a waste. He had to find out what happened and why. And he suspected that one of the books in the Dornish library had the answers. He stood up and shook the sand off of himself. He grabbed a handful of water from the fountain and splashed it over his face. He needed a clear head for this.

He had some answers to find.


	2. Family and Wishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oberyn reunites with two members of his family and he remembers happier times.

Oberyn was in the middle of scouring various books when the door opened. A young woman stepped into the library. She had dark brown hair which reached the middle of her back, and piercing brown eyes which stripped layers of the soul, finding what made a person tick and then using it against them or making it their boon, depending on whether the person in question was an enemy or an ally.

"Sarella." Oberyn thought, as his mouth went dry.

He shouldn't have been surprised, he supposed. Sarella had been using this very library as her sanctuary since she was very young. Books were her friends. More than her friends, even. They were her confidants, and she could rely on them. People had the capacity to betray. Books would not. They were silent sentinels and knowledge givers, and they would never turn against their readers. Oberyn could understand why Sarella loved - loves - books so much.

"Father." Sarella greeted him respectfully "I didn't expect to see you here. This doesn't seem like the sort of place you'd frequent."

"I am doing research." Oberyn told her with a rare smile, one he only revealed to his brother, wife and daughters

"Uncle wants to talk to you." Sarella told him "Better go see what he wants before he comes looking for you personally."

Oberyn was on his feet in an instant. He added another item to his list of things to do: find a cure for Doran's illness.

He made his way to the terrace. As expected, his brother was there, trapped in his wheelchair. Upon seeing the two of them for the first time, people would often assume that Oberyn was the dangerous one, while Doran was harmless. And they'd be wrong. Doran was just as dangerous as Oberyn was.

"You wanted to see me?" Oberyn approached his brother

"Yes, I did." Doran nodded "The sunset is beautiful."

Oberyn looked up at the sky which was tinged red and pink.

"It is." he agreed "I wish Elia were here to see it with us."

Doran's eyes darkened as they usually did when their little sister and her death was mentioned. Oberyn suspected that while his brother would never show it, he grieved for Elia just as much as he himself did. Maybe even more. Doran was closer to Elia than Oberyn was. They were natural pranksters during their childhood, those two, and Oberyn was their aloof brother who thwarted their schemes every time.

Oberyn smiled at the memory. He wished that things would go back to the way they were. He wished that Doran would run through the gardens, planning pranks, not look at him with melancholic eyes while trapped in a wheelchair.

He wished that Elia was alive, hollering at him with her puffed-up cheeks.

He wished, despite knowing both of those wishes were impossible.


	3. Advisor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarella means business.

Sarella dismounted and approached the sea of tents. A man and a woman sat in front of the largest one, and as Sarella came closer, she could see the resemblance.

"Greetings." she bowed slightly "You must be Robb Stark. Father was very impressed with your campaign. He sent me to offer you an alliance in his name, and to remain as your aide until such a time that you no longer require my service."

Robb glanced at his mother and Sarella caught it. She smacked his hand with her own, hard.

"First lesson: a King should never hide behind his mother's skirts." she admonished him "Father sent me to help you become the best commander and king that you can be, and by the Gods, that's what I will do."

True to her words, Sarella started on her job the moment she dismounted. She drafted up a daily plan for Robb to follow, which consisted of a series of physical exercises in the morning, while in the afternoons he would get crash courses in politics from Sarella herself. In the evenings, he was to read the books from the list Sarella provided for him, which she would quiz him on randomly. He had an hour of free time before going to bed.

"Why is your father so interested in me and my progress?" Robb asked her during one of those hours

"He sees himself in you, when he was younger, that is." Sarella explained "You value family above everything else, as he does. And don't tell him I've told you, but he plans for me to marry you in the near future.

-x-

"You shouldn't put your trust in Balon Greyjoy." Sarella told him "Father thinks he is an honorless cur and I agree."

"I need his ships....." Robb protested

"You might as well be asking a turtle to shit fire." Sarella rolled her eyes at him "You should also know that Walder Frey is a double-dealer who will renege on an agreement as soon as he gets better prospects. You're better off making a deal with a lame horse than with him. And don't trust Lord Bolton either. He'll stab you in the back at the first opportunity. He is descended from people who wore Stark skins as cloaks, after all. Or so I read."

Robb blanched at this.

"Keep Theon close." Sarella advised him "He cares about you a great deal, but he also cares about his family. Don't put him into a position where he has to choose, for most people would choose family. What should you do when you have to pick between a political marriage and marrying to preserve someone's honor?"

She leaned forward, eager to hear his answer. According to Father, his honor was his weakness, and he instructed her to turn his weakness into his strength.


	4. Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oberyn gets proactive

Oberyn stood at the balcony, recounting the plan once more in his head. The plan was simple. Poison the boy King, plant false evidence that Tyrion did it, then ensure that the Queen finds said evidence. Then he'd swoop in as Tyrion's champion. He'd kill the Mountain and save Tyrion's life, and pave the way for Robb Stark to launch an attack against King's Landing. In the chaos, he'll smuggle Myrcella out and hide her in Dorne. The Young Wolf would no doubt seize the Iron Throne with Sarella's help. Then he'd arrange a match between Sarella and Robb Stark, ensuring that the Dorne has ties to the King on the Iron Throne. And if Doran gave his approval, Myrcella would be wed to Trystane.

Sarella was playing her part well, at least according to the letters she was sending him. It was time for him to play his part as well.

He stretched his arms, as he did every morning, and climbed down the steps of the Red Keep. Open air greeted him, like an old friend.

He made his way to the throng of people. One of them, in particular, caught his attention: the drunk lout hired by Littlefinger to smuggle Sansa out of King's Landing.

"Pleasant day, isn't it?" the lout was saying as he approached him

"Not for you." Oberyn whispered, ramming a poison-coated knife into his torso "You're a hindrance to my plans."

Plans and counter-plans. The game. Game of thrones. The whole thing was giving him a headache.

-x-

Oberyn watched as King Joffrey drank from his cup. The drink which was liberally doused with Strangler. Oberyn felt it would be funny if he used the same kind of poison that the Tyrells were planning to use. He did it earlier, of course. After all, he put much stock in this plan, and Joffrey could send it all crashing down.

He watched as the King grabbed his throat and began to choke.

The evidence had already been planted, and things would soon be set in motion.

He would finally get to have his revenge and save two lives in the process.

He couldn't wait.


End file.
